In the spring of 2025, a small book with a strident tone is published: “Hypnocracy” (subtitle: “Trump, Musk and the factory of reality”). It is a plea, in 20 short chapters, about the exorbitant power that technology leaders are acquiring thanks to the digital world. Social networks and AI flood the world and manage to shape consciousness (hence the notion of power obtained through hypnosis). Individuals can no longer distinguish between the content transmitted digitally and reality, hence the development of infox. Without references or bibliography, but with a deep and evocative analysis of the ills of algorithms. Another stone, in the line of postmodern literature, in the garden of Trumpist patterns that are currently at the center of the scene. It is said that the author is a philosopher from Hong Kong living in Berlin.

In the afterword, the Italian philosopher A. Colamedici reveals the truth: Jiang Wei Xun does not exist, the book is the result of a long dialogue with AI (Claude Sonnet in this case). It is a total coproduction, which shows, according to the latter, on one hand, how easily opinion can be manipulated if one knows how to do it, and on the other hand the fact that AI is not just a tool, but can actually provide ideas, analysis, and reactions. According to him, we will have to get used to these new boundaries of ‘parenthood’ of a work, and not dream of a return to the past. Likewise, this all-powerful domain of digital giants can hardly be fought against, according to A. Colamedici. Only informal resistance, through the use that can be given to these technologies – or not – can limit their influence.

A work (and the interviews given by its “editor”) that raises numerous questions about the role of AI in academic production and opens essential debates. And these debates have only just begun.

Y.F. LIVIAN